1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fishing hook and more particularly to a fishing hook having plural piercing points. Still more specifically, the invention provides a connector for maintaining a trailer hook in operable orientation relative to a leading hook, while still enabling some relative motion therebetween to facilitate assembly of the fishing hooks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When fishing with spoons, spinner baits, or lures that require constant movement, the fisherman frequently encounters fish which strike at the tail of the lure, missing the hook. A traditional response to this situation is to attach a trailing hook. However, this response generates its own problems. The second hook must be maintained in an effective orientation with respect to the first hook.
It is preferable that two hooks connected in tandem be maintained in axial alignment and also in a common plane. The prior art has suggested apparatus for maintaining a trailing hook at a desired orientation with respect to a leading hook. An example is seen in U.S. Pat No. 4,569,148, issued to Wallace W. Kemp on Feb. 11, 1986. Kemp's device comprises a wire spine to which two hooks are secured by coils of wire. By contrast, the present invention lacks two coils of wire serving as encircling ties. The present invention has two hooks, which will be referred to as bent fingers to avoid confusion with the pointed hooks utilized to engage fish, the bent fingers being disposed at opposing ends of a common wire.
U.S. Pat No. 2,443,753, issued to Victor Tusa on Jun. 22, 1948, describes a fishing lure having a flattened rod which holds a second hook to a first hook. This rod has two holes formed therein. Each fishing hook passes through one of the two holes. By contrast, the present invention lacks holes, relying instead upon bent fingers each one of which engages the straight section of one hook. The common wire bearing the two bent fingers is coiled at the center. This coil surrounds the leading fishing hook.
U.S. Pat No. 2,908,990, issued to Harry J. Rimbach on Oct. 20, 1959, describes a fishing hook arrangement wherein one hook terminates at an eye. This eye is slipped over the leading hook. Unlike the present invention, there is no separate wire member engaging each hook and holding the two hooks resiliently in a predetermined mutual orientation.
U.S. Pat No. 3,803,747, issued to Earl Cartwright on Apr. 16, 1974, illustrates a fishing hook terminating in an eye and engaging a leading fishing hook by encirclement. Unlike the present invention, no connector maintains the two hooks in a predetermined mutual orientation.
Thus it will be seen that the prior art has not provided readily removable apparatus for maintaining tandem fishing hooks axially aligned and occupying a common plane. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.